Press.



Patented Aug. 22, I899.

Nu. 63l,447.

.1. c. TAFT.

P R E S S (Application filed Nov. 16, 189B.)

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(No Model.)

IIIIIII/IIIIL Inventor.

me Attorneys,

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1 tn esses H YHE NORRIS Perms co, wuo'rm mm" WASWNDTON. n c.

Patented Aug. 22, I899.

J. G. TA'FT.

P R E S S.

(Appfication filed Nov. 16, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shut 2,

(Np Model.)

Inventor.

JET owe 3 mww Attorney8 UNITED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME C. TAFT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANCOTTON BALE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

. PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,447, dated August22, 1899.

Application filed November 16, 1898. Serial No. 696,623. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEROME O. TAFT, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Presses; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of presses used for compressingcotton and the like into bales or receptacles for the market. It isfully explained and illustrated in this specification and theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the press, taken on the line 1 1 inFig. 3. Fig. 2 represents an elevation of the greater part of the press,showing the hydraulic compressingplunger in a raised position. Fig. 3 isa crosssection of the upper part of the press, taken on line 3 3, Fig.1,1ooking up. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the lower part of the press,taken on line at 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a part of the pistonresserwith its shield and a part of the sleeve on the presser-rod and a partof the guide-box. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of part of the piston ofthe hydraulic press and the case on it, one side of the case being open.

The object of this invention is to produce a press that will combine therapidity of steampacking and the enormous pressure available in thehydraulic press to compress the cotton when packed, and thus combine thequickness of steam with the more powerful though slower action of thehydraulic press and accomplish what neither will do without the other.

The construction and operation of the invention is this:

In Fig. 1 is shown thewhole press as it stands occupying three storiesof a warehouse. Four heavy metal upright bars C O are socured at theirupper ends in a square capplate D, one at each corner of the plate, bycollars on the bars on the under side and heavy screw-nuts on the top ofthe plate. The lower ends of the bars 0 are held in a footplate 13,which serves as the head of the cylinder H of the hydraulic press inlike manpresser-head P on two opposite sides.

nor as the upper ends, only the relative positions of the collars andscrew-nuts are reversed. of the hydraulic cylinder. On the top ofthecap-plate D is erected a vertical steam-cylinder G, having a piston A ofthe usual form, the rod R of which extends down through the plate D, inwhich a stuffing-box a surrounds it, and has a plate P on its lower endthat serves to pack the cotton in the case as it is fed in on the secondfloor F. The steamcylinder G is furnished with the usual wellknownvalves that give the piston an intermittent reciprocating motion. Asleeve L surrounds the extension of the piston-rodR below the plate Dand is fastened to that plate The press stands on the lower end by boltsthrough a flange on the upper end of the sleeve. The object of thissleeve is to transfer the pressure on the piston-plate P to thecap-plate D when the hydraulic piston is operated. The plunger J in thehydraulic cylinder H has a head K, on which is a receptacle .N, thatholds the sheetmetal or wire case T, in which the cotton is packed.Above the receptacle N is an open-ended metal box 0 of the samedimensions laterally as the receptacle, but only extending from the topof the receptacle N to the top of second floor F. The box 0 hasear-guides c c on each side fitted to slide up and down on the smallrods cl d, the upper ends of which are made fast to the cap-plate D.This box 0 is to conduct the cotton as it is fed in on the second floorF down into the receptacle, and

the box is carried up over the sleeve L out of p the way by thereceptacle N when it is raised up by the hydraulic press. (See Fig. 2.)A plate M is attached by its lower end to (the See Fig. 5.) These platesextend some ways up and are connected together at the top for support bybars V. The plates slide up and down freely on the sleeve L as thepresser rises and descends to pack the cotton, and their use is to shutup the opening on the back and front just above the second floor F andprevent any of the material from getting in above the presserhead whenit is down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The sleeve is providedwith flanges e e to support the upper end of the shieldplates M.

The operation is as follows: A case T is placed in the receptacle N andthe doors j j on the front and back are fastened. The cotton is then putin from the second floor F under the presser-head P and is passed downthrough the box 0 into the case until it is filled. Then the presser Pis pushed down quickly by the steam in the cylinder G to pack the cottonX. (See dotted lines in Fig. 1.) Then the presser P is as quickly drawnup again and the case is again filled with cotton, when the presseragain descends and rises, and these motions continue until the case orreceptacle is full and the presser will not condense the cotton anymore. Then the hydraulic press is brought into action and the receptacleis carried up with immense force over the presser-head P and the sleeveL, as in Fig. 2, and the cotton X is compressed into a comparativelysmall compass. Then the hydraulic press sinks down with the case in theposition seen in Fig. 1, when the cotton is again filled in and thepresser packs it, as before, until the case or receptacle is full. Thenthe action of the hydraulic press is repeated. A succession of three orfour pressure packings and compressions of the hydraulic press will fillthe case solid. The plunger J is then let down with the receptacle untilthe head K rests on the plate B. Then the head of the case is put in andpressure put on it by the presser or the hydraulic press and made fast.The doors of the receptacle are then opened and the packed material istaken out ready for storage or shipment. \Vire in the shape of nettingmay be used to secure the pressed material, or it may be inclosed in iteither before or after it is taken from the press.

Having thus described my improvements,

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In apress for cotton or other like material, the combination of asteam-cylinder, a piston for said cylinder having a piston-rod elongatedto serve as a presser, a stationary sleeve over said rod to support itand take the final pressure, a receptacle to receive the packing-case,and a hydraulic press to raise said receptacle over said piston-rod andsleeve to compress the material in said case, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a press for cotton or other like material the combination of asteam actuated presser to pack the material in a packingcase, areceptacle to hold the cotton, an openended box held over saidreceptacle to conduct the material into the receptacle, and arranged toslide up over said presser out of the way of the receptacle when raised,a hydraulic press to raise said receptacle over the steampresser tocompress the material, in the case, substantially as described.

3. In a press for cotton or other like material, the combination of asteam-cylinder, a piston for said cylinder having a piston-rod elongatedto serve as a presser, a stationary sleeve over said piston-rod tosupport it and receive the final pressure, a receptacle to receive thepacking-case, shield-plates secured to the side of said presser to closethe feed ing-opening, and prevent the cotton or other material fromgetting in over the presser, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day ofNovember, A. D. 1898.

JEROME O. TAFT.

In presence of- CHAS. L. BARLoW, H. E. BARLoW.

